…Be patient with everyone.
Always be joyful.
Never stop praying.
Be thankful in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
…Be patient with everyone.
Always be joyful.
Never stop praying.
Be thankful in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ,
not to pour out his anger on us.
Christ died for us so that,
whether we are dead or alive when he returns,
we can live with him forever.
so encourage each other and build each other up…
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven
with a commanding shout,
with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trumpet call of God.
First, the believers who have died
will rise from their graves.
Then, together with them,
we who are still alive and remain on the earth
will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
Then we will be with the Lord forever.
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves,
you must clothe yourselves
with tenderhearted mercy,
kindness,
gentleness,
and patience.
Make allowance for each other’s faults,
and forgive anyone who offends you.
Remember,
the Lord forgave you,
so you must forgive others.
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ,
set your sights on the realities of heaven,
where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
Think about the things of heaven,
not the things of earth.
For you died to this life,
and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
Don’t let anyone capture you
with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense
that come from human thinking
and from the spiritual powers of this world,
rather than from Christ.